I read Hartwood’s <i>The Shadow in the Glass</i> last year, and I was interested to see where she’d go with her second novel. Although the debut was of a similar genre, and one I love - historical fiction mixed with a bit of the supernatural - here we are taken from Victorian London into the Scottish Highlands. Quite the journey.

<i>The Thorns Remain</i> focuses entirely on the Fae folk, and the stark consequences which can occur from a night of dancing with them. It’s a fascinating topic for me, ignited entirely by Clarke’s <i>Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell</i>, and a difficult one to tackle, so I was eager to see how Hartwood would handle it.

Moira Jean and her friends accidentally call on the Fae folk one evening, and unwittingly enter into a dance with them. As Moira Jean is the only one to escape, she must do everything in her power to return her friends to their own world, making bargains with the Fae, and carrying out their wishes. No thank you, wouldn’t be me, sorry friends but you’re there until the end of time.

Hartwood’s characters aren’t great here. Although the friends and their safe return are the focal point of the story, there isn’t a great deal of backstory on them, which diminishes our engagement on whether or not they return. One of my favourite characters, who provides Moira Jean with stories on local folklore to help her make sense of the mess she’s in, is also quite badly characterised and remains in the background. I’d have loved to have heard more from her and about her.

Speaking of folklore, this is very lightly grazed over also. I’m Scottish, so I do have a decent understanding of the different creatures who live amongst our lore; I was disappointed in the almost indifferent explanations I was given of them.

Despite these points, I really enjoyed Hartwood’s world building, and her depictions of a small Scottish village in the early 1900s. It was wonderful to see the work that goes into keeping a village running, the opinions of those in the ‘big hoose’ and the different types of relationships which run through the community.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book. Unfortunately, I didn't find that it lived up to the blurb and my expectations. I had been looking forward to reading a story set in Scotland at the end of the First World War. I found the story slow to build and Moira Jean was not particularly interesting. The story was confusing and although I finished the book I don't feel satisfied by the ending.
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I received this book through NetGalley in return for an honest review. Unfortunately, I only managed to get about a third of the way through before I gave up as I found it very slow and repetitive.

Not one for me but I wouldn’t discourage others from reading it, as I’m sure lots of people will enjoy it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read the book.

The premise of The Thorns Remain sounded right up my alley— Scottish highland setting, historical, and containing a dark faerie tale vibe that immediately captured my interest.

The story follows Moira Jean, a young woman who had recently lost her betrothed and who is feeling purposeless and heartbroken in her highland village. One night, her and her group of similar age friends take to the woods for whisky and dancing, only to be accosted by the fae, who take every member except for Moira Jean. Eager to get her friends back, she bargains with the fae Lord for their safe return. I found the writing style to be atmospheric and descriptive and loved the sinister nature of the fae and the way they were described. It really added a sense of tension and dread to the story.

My main issue, and why this book took me so long to get into and even longer to finish, was the pacing and the MC. Like a lot of reviews mentioned, the pacing vacillated between extremely slow and rushing past details that would later prove important. At times it felt like Moira Jean was living the same day over and over, with her seeking out the fae’s demand to bring her friends back one at a time. Up until around 60%, I considered DNFing but it definitely picks up towards the end. Overall, I’m glad I finished it but if you’re not a fan of a slower, longer to unfold type story, I wouldn’t recommend.

I also did not love Moira Jean as the MC. I did not really feel a connection with her and wished we could have spent time in other heads than hers. For instance, if the POV switched between members of the friend group and showed their time in captivity, I think that would have been a lot more interesting and would have upped the ante for Moira Jean trying to save them. For a fairly sizeable book, she wasn’t the most active characters head to live in.

Overall, I think this book had a lot of potential and I would definitely read more from the author, but it just wasn’t for me. 3.5/5 stars

A dance with the fae will change everything.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

1919. In a highland village forgotten by the world, harvest season is over and the young who remain after war and flu have ravaged the village will soon head south to make something of themselves. Moira Jean and her friends head to the forest for a last night of laughter before parting ways. Moira Jean is being left behind. She had plans to leave once – but her lover died in France and with him, her future. The friends light a fire, sing and dance. But with every twirl about the flames, strange new dancers thread between them, music streaming from the trees. The fae are here. Suddenly Moira Jean finds herself all alone, her friends spirited away. The iron medal of her lost love, pinned to her dress, protected her from magic. For the Fae feel forgotten too. Lead by the darkly handsome Lord of the Fae, they are out to make themselves known once more. Moira Jean must enter into a bargain with the Lord to save her friends – and fast, for the longer one spends with the Fae, the less like themselves they are upon return. If Moira Jean cannot save her friends before Beltine, they will be lost forever…

Moira Jean is a people pleaser - but it’s to her detriment. She does a lot for others at her own expense. When she gets involved with the Fae, I expected her to become increasingly more bolstered, perhaps think more of herself and how she can save her friends. But this wasn’t the case in my mind. She remained rather one note throughout the entire book, lacking the growth that most characters go through during their story. I felt like Moira Jean fell rather flat which meant I was rather disinterested in her and what may happen to her. It’s such a shame but she definitely could have been fleshed out more, could have had more growth and fire. If she had, I perhaps would have enjoyed the story more.

This is a book with a really strong idea. I just think that, for me, the overall execution was lacking. It felt very repetitive throughout and I found myself wanting things to move forward quite a lot instead of feeling stuck in a rut. I liked the idea of the Far coming out of their world and into ours, putting down unwanted roots and twisting bargains. The whole premise of mortals being the playthings of the Fae wasn’t really my cup of tea and that was rather prevalent throughout the story. The other characters fell a little flat and it seemed like we never properly got to know anyone else. I really pushed myself to finish this book as I wanted to give up earlier on but I was so hopeful that it may improve and just be a very late “bloomer” and grip me and never let go. The ending felt very lacklustre and rushed. It didn’t feel satisfactory for me - in fact, I felt very little emotion at the end of the book beyond being relieved that it had reached its completion. It’s not at all how I want to feel about a book but unfortunately, there are always a few that end up that way for a reader.

Overall, The Thorns Remain is a book that sadly I won’t be recommending but I hope others enjoy it.

⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

The beginning of this fantasy story was really intriguing and promising. The book tells the story of Moira Jean, a young girl who grows up in a small village after the first World War and during the Spanish Flu. Concerning this, I really liked how the author included these real historical events into the plot.

One day, Moira Jean and her friends go out into the woods to dance and celebrate. However, something seems strange and the next day, Moira Jean wakes up to find her friends missing. Turns out, they were kidnapped by Fae. Moira Jean meets up with the Fae Lord and starts to make bargains in order to get her friends back.

I enjoyed the bargain part of the book a lot and I liked how the faes were portrayed as very mysterious, magical and dark. I think the author did a really good job at describing the fae in way that created a thrilling and chilling atmosphere.

I also liked our main protagonist and I extremely enjoyed how she argued and bantered with the Fae Lord. She is definitely very stubborn but also confident and I liked that she seemed very strong and determined.

What I didn’t like as much was actually the pacing. I liked the plot and I liked that while reading, I learned more about different fae, but I felt like there was some suspense missing. Therefore, the ending also seemed a bit rushed.


In conclusion: a very magical and mysterious fantasy story with intriguing faes, strong characters and a very interesting setting. There could have been more action, but overall, I really enjoyed reading the book and can recommend it. I give it 4/5 stars.

I really wanted to love this. But alas, no. There is a lot of potential but it needs a heavy edit. Too long, undeveloped one dimensional characters, and a highly unsatisfying ending. Someone else might like it, but it wasn’t my cuppa tea.

My first introduction to the works of J.J.A Harwood (and first book ive read in a while) and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I personally struggled with the beginning with how quickly characters got introduced, I couldnt catch up with who was who and was over within the first few pages, I was still a little vague at the end, but didnt seem to impact the story. There's a few mis prints (repetitive or missed words) but regardless, I got gripped and enjoyed this adventure with Moira Jean and had my heart pulled just a smidge! I felt like I could never tell where this story was going, but not in a bad way! Harwood tells this story with pure ease, its simple to follow and shows a real insight to the fae legends told for centuries in rural Britain. Some great research behind that. Wholeheartedly recommended for an easy fantastical read!

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I liked the premise and promise of this book but I just could not get on with it . I read about 24 pages and then skipped to the middle of the book and read a few more. I didn't like the writing and the story didn't grip me as I had hoped that it would. A disappointment and not one that I would recommend. With thank to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

I've not read this author before, and this genre isn't usually my preferred genre but I was instantly compelled to read The Thorns Remain. I loved the cover and I was intrigued by the story despite it not hitting all the right marks for me, I do think it is a magical story which many readers of the genre will love.

This felt like more of a coming-of-age/young adult story, it's magical with a little whimsical, I did like the magical notes to the story, and I liked how the Fae were depicted it is a very easy book to read, even though I felt a little lost at times, it will be perfect for a younger audience.

I love this era, anything set in or around the Great War (this being set just after) and I want to read it, and I thought this was an interesting and original story, I liked the descriptions of the village and I liked the heroine of the story she is well written and likeable. I wasn't too keen on the villagers but they brought a certain something to the story

Overall, a fascinating and unique story with a hint of magic.
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Fantasy novel involving the Fae after the First World War - good stuff.

Moira Jean lives in a small village in the north of Scotland just after the end of the First World War. Her time is spent working until she drops until she finds herself embroiled with the neighbouring Fae, particularly their Lord who makes her life difficult in a variety of ways. Because it's a small village, there are only a few characters so the novel concentrates on Moira Jean and the Fae Lord and their interaction. It's quite a good novel but a bit of a slow burner. It won't necessarily appeal to all lovers of fantasy fiction. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

The Thorns Remain sounded really good and I was really excited for it as I love Fae and folklore but sadly it didn't end up being as good as I hoped.
I didn't really care for any the characters and the writing was just okay.
The Thorns Remain just sadly wasn't for me.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The premise and concept of this book were incredibly interesting, but that being said I found that the writing style wasn't personally for me. The cover art is really beautiful, and the description of the atmosphere around the village and forest were great.

A world rich in detail with mag I and charm. Moira Jean is a spirited heroine who’s take is both enchanting and sad, this was a really lovely read, slower paced than im used to but still kept my interest.

Sadly this one wasn't for me. I just cannot get into it whatsoever and it's such a shame as it sounds amazing but it's just dragging on and on in my opinion, I may give this another go one day but for now it's a no go :(

I’m still not sure who this book was aimed at. It read like YA and the focus on certain aspects of the story seemed more YA, and yet the characters’ ages and goals suggested older? Overall I enjoyed it. It was an easy read with some fun moments. I didn’t entirely gel with the author’s style however and the first few pages were hard going. I would like to note that fae books are a hard sell for me because I have read so many, I have definite ideas of what I want and obviously not everyone is going to agree with me.

Absolutely loved this novel! The Scottish setting felt so realistic, there are many places up here with fairy legends, the story was hitting all my yes, yes, yes buttons. It felt fresh but familiar and I was rooting for Moria Jean all the way as she battles with the Lord of the Underhill to negotiate the return of her friends from his lands. So much going on in this story, MJs mum helping villagers with the flu pandemic that killed MJs fiancé, a changing turning the villagers against her and so many other magical creatures hindering her attempts. It's a fast paced and engaging read.

Full review will be posted as soon as possible and I'll add links to the blog as well. The review will be scheduled and posted closer to publication date.

I would like to thank the publisher HarperCollins and Netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing that drew me in was the blurb of this book. It had a lot of aspects that I love in books fae , folklore and being set in Scotland.
Unfortunately for me I found this book really slow and it was a push to finish it at the beginning. It wasn’t until about the last third that I felt the story get going and I did enjoy the ending which I did not see coming.
I think the plot was slow and at times the pace was just off. I did enjoy the character development of Moria Jean throughout the book. Whilst suffering heartbreak she still fought for all her friends and kept going, she really showed her strength and resolve.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, HarperFiction and HarperCollinsUK for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I must begin by saying that the blurb really drew me in, especially with the comparison with Addie LaRue (of which I definitely could see some elements here and there through the story), but my expectations were a little mysplaced as this book is very different from what I first thought.
I loved the eerie atmosphere surrounding the village and the forest, and I really appreciated the representations of the Scottish folklore and legends, even though at some points it felt a bit superficial and it left me with many questions still unanswered (especially the ending).
Some parts came through as very repetitive and slow, I think they could have been condensed in less pages and the pace of the plot could have been handled better, but I still found it interesting and engaging - the writing style is what really kept me going, it was so good!
Not gonna lie, I was hoping for a different development as far as romance goes, I thought the chemistry, the build-up and the interactions were going to lead somewhere more... Intriguing, let's just say. But that's my personal preference, I think the ending still kind of worked, even if it felt a little (a lot) bittersweet.
3.5 stars